Council members identify county’s greatest concerns

September 15, 2012

MARTINSBURG - With a growing population greater than 105,000, when trying to determine Berkeley County's greatest legislative concerns, the potential problem is limiting the number of concerns.

During Thursday's Berkeley County Council meeting, members unanimously selected six county legislative issues to submit to the Commissioners Council Association of West Virginia for consideration at the organization's fall board meeting.

"These are priorities that have come from prior legislative summers. All, of course, have significant merit, not only to Berkeley County but, in some cases, to the state as a whole," Hammond said.

Sunday and Monday, the CCAWV will evaluate all 55 counties' legislative nominations to decide which issues represent the greatest need and prominence on a statewide level. Once chosen, the organization will prioritize the issues it will support and champion in the next legislative session.

Board members selected Berkeley County's top issues as funding for regional jail costs, increasing Homestead exemptions for seniors and permanently handicapped and coordinating the closing of bars in border counties with hours currently in place in out-of-state border counties.

"In all likelihood, even before I see the other issues that come this weekend, (regional jail costs) will be the No. 1 state priority (in addition to Berkeley County's No. 1 priority), because every county is grappling with it," Hammond said.

In fiscal year 2012-13, Berkeley County spent nearly $3 million in regional jail costs.

Each suggested issue is accompanied by multiple legislative options available to solve or help manage the issue.

The CCAWV will also meet with county council and county commission members from just the Eastern Panhandle to discuss location specific issues. That meeting is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 3.